Edulitics (Education, Literature, and Linguistics) Journal

An Analysis of Culture-Specific Items and Translation Techniques in The Yogyakarta Calendar of Events Booklet

Muhamad Safi'i — 2025-06-24

Translating culture-specific items (CSIs) is a complex and sensitive task requiring careful consideration of both the source and target cultures, posing significant challenges for translators. Despite the growing importance of cross-cultural communication, there is still limited research exploring how translation techniques affect the representation of local cultures. This research aims to analyze CSIs and the translation techniques used in the English translation of the Yogyakarta Calendar of Events booklet, published by the Yogyakarta Tourism Office. Adopting a descriptive qualitative approach, the research involves a comparative analysis of the Indonesian and English texts, focusing on the translation of CSIs. The analysis is conducted based on cultural categories and translation techniques as outlined by Newmark (1988). The findings reveal that the CSIs identified in the booklet fall into four categories, which include ecology (7 instances), material culture (19 instances), social culture (25 instances), and organizations, customs, activities, procedures, and concepts (37 instances). The most frequently applied translation techniques are literal translation (31 instances) and transference (28 instances), while the other techniques are used less frequently. These findings highlight the need for translators to carefully select techniques that align with the intended communicative purpose, particularly in tourism-related texts where cultural representation is crucial. Furthermore, the findings of this research shed light on how the transfer of cultural meaning is treated by translators in a working, functional context, and suggests that translation practices in tourism contexts should strike a balance between preserving cultural identity and ensuring accessibility for international audiences.

The Portrayal of Beauty Privilege and Beauty Ideals in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Nurul Istiqamah Kadekoh — 2025-06-24

This study explores the portrayal of beauty standards and beauty privilege in the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, using a feminist literary approach and intersectionality theory. The tale, widely known through the Brothers Grimm version and its popular adaptations, continues to influence societal perceptions of beauty, particularly concerning women. The research is motivated by the need to critically examine how such narratives contribute to the normalization of idealized beauty and its impact on gender roles. In this tale, beauty is not only central to the protagonist’s identity but also determines how others treat her, reflecting how physical appearance can translate into unearned social advantages—a concept known as beauty privilege. The study employs a qualitative content analysis method, focusing on selected narrative elements and character interactions that emphasize Snow White's appearance. Using feminist literary criticism, the analysis investigates how Snow White's beauty becomes the primary source of her value, overshadowing traits such as intellect or agency. Meanwhile, intersectionality theory is used to examine how beauty interacts with other social factors, such as gender and age, to shape power dynamics and privileges in the story. The findings reveal that Snow White’s beauty repeatedly spares her life, earns her protection and admiration from strangers, and culminates in a marriage proposal. These privileges underline the societal inclination to reward those who conform to dominant beauty ideals. This study contributes to broader discussions on how literature perpetuates gendered beauty norms and their real-life implications on women’s roles and worth.

Interventionist, Non-Interventionist, or Interactionist: Investigating Teacher Beliefs and Classroom Management in Indonesian EFL Contexts

Novika Amalia — 2025-06-24

Teachers’ beliefs about classroom management and pedagogical practices can generally be categorized into interventionist, non-interventionist, or interactionist approaches, which describe how teachers design learning environments, manage student behavior, and implement instructional strategies. This study investigates the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and pedagogical practices in Indonesian EFL Senior High Schools, focusing on their alignment and the factors shaping their decisions. This qualitative, multiple-case study explored the perspectives of two certified English teachers with differing levels of congruency between their stated beliefs and observed practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, analyzed thematically, and validated through peer reviews, expert validation, and member checking to ensure accuracy and reliability. Findings revealed five key factors influencing teachers’ pedagogical decisions: students’ academic competence, psychological well-being, future objectives, learning competence, and school-provided learning facilities. Results indicate that Teacher A initially held an interventionist belief but exhibited an interactionist teaching style due to classroom challenges that reshaped her perceptions. Conversely, Teacher B maintained a strong interventionist approach, making only minor adjustments based on student feedback and professional development experiences. Despite their differing levels of congruency, both teachers expressed satisfaction with their teaching practices. This study concludes that teacher effectiveness in Indonesian EFL classrooms depends more on adaptability and student needs than strict alignment between beliefs and practices. These findings contribute to the discourse on teacher belief systems, pedagogical adaptability, and classroom management strategies in EFL contexts, highlighting the dynamic nature of teachers' professional growth and instructional decision-making.

The Use of Wordwall Application for Speaking Skills at The XI Grade MA Ibnu Ali

Luluatul Mubasyiroh — 2025-06-24

Wordwall is a digital learning platform that allows teachers to create interactive activities such as quizzes, games, and speaking prompts to enhance student participation. This research aims to explore the use of the Wordwall application in teaching English speaking skills, since speaking skills are the ability to communicate thoughts and ideas in a clear, structured, and meaningful way. This includes keeping the audience engaged, organizing ideas logically, using correct pronunciation and appropriate intonation, and analyzing both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of its effectiveness in improving fluency and proficiency. This qualitative study was conducted at MA Ibnu Ali, specifically involving XI grade students in a private Islamic senior high school in Lepelle Village, Sampang, Indonesia. Data were collected through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with English teachers and students. The findings show that Wordwall can promote student motivation, increase classroom interaction, and provide a more enjoyable learning experience. It also helps reduce students’ speaking anxiety and encourages active involvement. However, some obstacles remain, such as limited vocabulary and student restlessness. This research implies that digital tools like Wordwall can support more student-centered and interactive language learning. Teachers are encouraged to integrate such platforms to foster creativity, critical thinking, and improved speaking performance in EFL classrooms.

High School English Teachers’ Perception of Critical Thinking Concepts in Writing Class

Diyah Herawati — 2025-06-24

This study explores high school English teachers' perceptions of critical thinking and their integration into English writing instruction, focusing on the Indonesian context. Critical thinking is a cornerstone of education, yet its implementation in writing classes remains underexplored, especially in secondary education. This qualitative study employs a case study design involving five high school teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that teachers conceptualize critical thinking as a combination of analytical skills, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving. Strategies such as argumentative writing tasks, peer reviews, and open-ended questioning were employed to develop students' critical thinking in writing. However, challenges such as limited student readiness, time constraints, and insufficient resources impede effective implementation. The study further identifies contextual factors unique to the Indonesian educational setting, contributing to the broader understanding of critical thinking pedagogy in diverse environments. Implications suggest the need for professional development programs, curriculum reforms, and enhanced resource allocation to support critical thinking instruction. This research underscores the importance of integrating critical thinking into English writing curricula to equip students with essential skills for academic and real-world success. Future research should explore the longitudinal impacts of these strategies and their adaptability across different educational contexts.

A Lexico-Semantic Analysis of Selected Press Releases of The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)

Emmanuel Jolaolu Adegbenro — 2025-06-26

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a new separatist movement in Eastern Nigeria, has been labelled a terrorist group by the Nigerian government against its stated goals. This study aims to investigate the language used in the IPOB’s press releases to identify the specific stylistic choices that contributed to its designation as a terrorist organisation. Four speeches from three prominent leaders of IPOB were purposively selected from the online spaces for the study; two from Mazi Uchenna Asiegbu and one each from Mazi Chika Edoziem and Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, respectively. Using Halliday’s theoretical framework of the Systemic Functional Grammar through a qualitative analysis, the selected speeches were first closely read; thereafter, the prominent lexico-sematic features that characterise the speeches were identified, categorised, and discussed. Findings revealed that the press releases were replete with the deployment of three lexico-semantic features, such as collocation, lexical relations, and figurative language, which were stylistically used to convey speakers’ intentions of grieving, protesting, self-defending, and calling for international aid. It further revealed that the manner of agitation, particularly brutality, informed their choice of negative words. The study concluded that the aggressive language patterns of the IPOB writers and their propaganda became the critical rhetorical techniques through which they were being labelled. This research will help to give insight into the specific lexical items chosen by the IPOB to construct identity, resistance, ideologies, emotions, and political positions.

ChatGPT As a Formative Feedback Tool: Improving Narrative Essay Writing Among EFL Students

Pariyanto Pariyanto — 2025-06-28

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly accessible in educational contexts, their potential to support second language writing instruction warrants closer examination. This study investigates the effectiveness of formative feedback provided by ChatGPT, an AI-based language model, in enhancing the narrative writing skills of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Sixteen undergraduate students from an Indonesian university participated in the study. Each student composed a narrative essay based on a personal experience and received individualized feedback from ChatGPT using a standardized prompt. They subsequently revised their work based on this feedback. Pre- and post-revision essays were evaluated by two trained human raters using a standardized narrative writing rubric. Inter-rater reliability was confirmed with a high Cronbach’s alpha score of .91. Statistical analysis using paired-sample t-tests revealed significant improvements in overall writing quality, with the greatest gains observed in style, voice, and coherence. Qualitative data from student reflections further indicated positive perceptions of ChatGPT’s feedback, citing its clarity, detail, and ease of use. While some students noted the tool's limitations in addressing cultural or contextual nuances, overall results suggest that AI-generated feedback can serve as an effective supplement to traditional instruction. The study highlights ChatGPT's potential to enhance writing development and learner autonomy, particularly in resource-constrained EFL classrooms.

Foreign EFL Teachers’ Challenges and Strategies in Teaching English to Rural Thai Upper Secondary School Students

Ameliana Ameliana — 2025-07-09

Despite national initiatives to enhance English levels, current testing consistently shows that Thai students, particularly rural students, still experience low English proficiency. This study aimed to reveal foreign EFL teachers in rural Thai Secondary schools with particular emphasis on challenges and strategies within the English classroom. Based on a qualitative case study research design, data were collected through observation and in-depth interviews of EFL teachers at Assa-adah School in Southern Thailand. Findings revealed a set of interlocking challenge categories, including psychological (students with demotivation and anxiety), cognitive (students with low English proficiency), pedagogic (curriculum and practice gap, and limited access to media), and social challenges (students' parental environment, students' preference for translanguaging and teachers partnerless). The pedagogic strategies to overcome the challenges involve using responsive teaching and a fun learning method. The present study contributes to the ongoing debate on EFL instruction in Southeast Asia by way of illustrating the complex interdependence among sociocultural context, pedagogy, and governmental support. The implications of these findings are sought for the Thai policy maker to arrange continuous training among teachers and provide sufficient resources even in rural areas, as well as for English teachers in Thailand to anticipate the challenges encountered before classroom interaction.

The Effectiveness of Using Cake Application to Improve Students' Speaking Achievement Across Multiple Intelligences

Ika Permata Permata Sari — 2025-07-19

In the modern era of digital learning, enhancing students' English-speaking abilities remains challenging, especially when learners possess diverse cognitive abilities. Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) applications, such as the Cake application, provide promising solutions by addressing students' diverse intelligences. This research aimed to (1) determine whether there is a significant difference in speaking achievement between students taught using the Cake application and those taught using YouTube, and (2) to determine whether multiple intelligences—specifically linguistic, visual-spatial, and interpersonal intelligences—influence students' speaking performance. A quasi-experimental methodology was used, with two randomly assigned classes: one experimental group using the Cake program and one control group utilizing YouTube. After six sessions, a posttest was administered to measure pupils' speaking abilities. The results showed significant improvements in the experimental group (p = 0.032 < 0.05). A factorial two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between media consumption and multiple intelligences (p = 0.000, < 0.05). These findings suggest that incorporating digital materials linked to students' cognitive profiles can significantly enhance speaking abilities. The research emphasizes the value of individualized, intelligence-based approaches to teaching the English language.